Buccaneers vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Franchise granted

July 8, 1933

First season

1933 · National Football League

Conference / division

NFC East · since the 1970 realignment

Home field

Lincoln Financial Field · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Fan identity

The Birds · Eagles fans · midnight green, silver, black and white

First meeting

September 18, 1977 · Veterans Stadium · Philadelphia 13, Tampa Bay 3

First Bucs victory

December 29, 1979 · NFC Divisional Round · Tampa Bay 24, Philadelphia 17

First regular-season win

October 6, 1991 · Tampa Stadium · Tampa Bay 14, Philadelphia 13

October 2026 leadership snapshot

Nick Sirianni is head coach. Philadelphia’s coaching directory lists Sean Mannion as offensive coordinator, Vic Fangio as defensive coordinator and Michael Clay as special teams coordinator.

Jeffrey Lurie is chairman and chief executive officer; Howie Roseman is executive vice president/general manager. This is a dated team briefing—not the leadership lineup for every historical game below.

Two different “first wins”

The first Tampa Bay victory over Philadelphia was a playoff win in 1979. The 1991 result was the first regular-season victory. Keeping those distinctions matters in a rivalry where January has written so much of the story.

The Captain’s entirely unofficial inspection

“We shut the old place,” Captain Booty announces, tapping his treasure ledger, “then visited the new place and declined to let them score. That is excellent property management.”

“That is football,” replies the Parrot. “And you are not authorized to invoice Philadelphia for a stadium inspection.”

The Captain places another imaginary doblón in the bag marked X. He is still saving for a cover over Raymond James Stadium. The Parrot has already confiscated a drawing titled Retractable Roof, Mostly Rope.

1933–1960: the foundation

The Eagles began NFL play in 1933, with Bert Bell and Lud Wray central to the new Philadelphia franchise. The wartime 1943 season brought a temporary partnership with Pittsburgh—the Steagles—before the clubs resumed separate identities.

Coach Greasy Neale and running back Steve Van Buren helped establish a championship standard. Philadelphia won consecutive NFL titles in 1948 and 1949, both by shutout. Buck Shaw’s 1960 team, featuring Norm Van Brocklin and Chuck Bednarik, added another title with a 17–13 win over Green Bay.

Vermeil, Gang Green and the Reid years

Dick Vermeil’s rebuild produced the 1980 NFC championship and a Super Bowl XV appearance. Later eras brought Randall Cunningham’s improvisation, Reggie White’s pass rush and the defense remembered as Gang Green.

Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb made Philadelphia a frequent January destination, including four consecutive NFC Championship appearances after the 2001 through 2004 seasons. Tampa Bay’s road to its first Lombardi Trophy went directly through that era.

2017 season: the first Super Bowl title

Doug Pederson’s team finished its championship run on February 4, 2018, defeating New England 41–33 in Super Bowl LII. Nick Foles, who took over after Carson Wentz was injured, threw three touchdown passes and caught another on his way to the game’s MVP award.

The distinction is deliberate: that trophy belongs to the 2017 season, even though the Super Bowl was played in 2018.

Sources: Eagles: Nick Foles and Super Bowl LII.

2024 season: another championship

Nick Sirianni’s Eagles defeated Kansas City 40–22 in Super Bowl LIX on February 9, 2025. Jalen Hurts earned MVP honors, and the defense helped Philadelphia build a 34–0 lead before the Chiefs scored.

Philadelphia’s championship roll now contains three pre-Super Bowl NFL titles and two Super Bowl wins. The old claim that the Eagles had not returned to the Super Bowl since the McNabb era no longer belongs in a current profile.

Sources: Eagles: Super Bowl LIX championship · Pro Football Hall of Fame: Eagles team facts.

SWOOP patrols the nest

Philadelphia’s eagle mascot SWOOP made his Veterans Stadium debut during a 1996 preseason game. He is part of the team’s game-day identity—not to be confused with the Captain’s much smaller, considerably more opinionated traveling companion.

“A bird in a football jersey,” says the Captain, “is still a bird.”
“And a pirate holding a calculator,” replies the Parrot, “is still not an accountant.”

The soundtrack of a rival

The Fly, Eagles, Fly tradition, the spelled-out Eagles chant, cheerleaders and seas of green give Philadelphia its recognizable football atmosphere. Our response is simple: bring the pirate flag, enjoy the rivalry and keep the banter friendly.

The Captain proposes a pregame spelling competition. The Parrot reminds him that he wrote “cheesesteak” three different ways on the same shopping list. The competition is quietly canceled.

Respect beyond the scoreboard

The Eagles Autism Foundation supports research, care and inclusive community experiences. In February 2026, the organization announced $10.8 million for 54 research and community projects, funded through the preceding year’s initiatives.

Rival colors do not prevent recognition of worthwhile work. The Captain may dispute possession of the football; he has no objection to a community making room for more people.

The familiar wings

Helmet wings, green jerseys and the eagle identity connect generations of Philadelphia football. The team moved from its long-running Kelly Green look to midnight green in 1996, accompanied by the modern eagle-head logo.

Kelly Green returns

The 2023 return of Kelly Green brought a modern recreation of the early-1990s look back to the field. The Eagles’ official throwback program honors a visual era associated with players such as Randall Cunningham and Reggie White; it complements the modern identity rather than erasing it.

Historical photographs on this page may show earlier uniforms. That is part of the archive, not an instruction to replace the images with whichever jersey is newest.

Captain Booty accepts both shades of green. Neither, he points out, changes the color of the doblones he intends to collect when Tampa Bay scores.